Iconic Minneapolis ‘Witch’s Hat’ To Open For 1 Day Only

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The 110-foot Prospect Park Water Tower, more commonly referred to as the “Witch’s Hat,” will open for one night only on Friday.

The tower, known for its distinctive green-shingled, hat-like roof, will open June 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for the annual Pratt School Ice Cream Social.

The mysterious former water tower is closed 364 days of the year, but will open to raise funds for Pratt Community School and the Prospect Park Association.

(credit: CBS)

The annual event, held the first Friday after Memorial Day, includes live music, dancing, a silent auction and — most importantly — ice cream.

The tower, one of the tallest point in Minneapolis, gives visitors a panoramic view of downtown Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota campus at the top of the winding staircase.

Before the tower was home to annual ice cream socials, it was originally designed to be a concert band shell. However, this idea was soon dismissed after discovering the difficulty of getting instruments to the top of the tower.

Even though there were no official concerts at the tower, it is believed that Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” was inspired by the tower because of its visibility to Dylan’s home in Dinkytown in 1959. Dylan has never confirmed this rumor.

Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to set foot inside of one Minneapolis’ most-exclusive and iconic structures.